Back(log) to the Front: Week 11

My little vacation to Texas was nice and very much needed but now it’s time to get back into the games. I have three for this week, although only one has been finished.

Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness

I didn’t get too far into Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness, but it has me intrigued. I do love me some visual novels, and this fits the bill there. It’s based on an anime I haven’t seen, but much like other games such as Danganronpa and Steins;Gate, it makes me want to check it out.

As of right now, I have only seen one “case” as it were of this agency. It seems they are similar to police who are able to determine how bad someone is based on an aura of sorts called a hue. This hue can dictate whether rehabilitation could succeed or if they are too far gone. What appears to be an AI may be influencing people throughout the game, but the intentions of who or what is behind it is unanswered at the moment.

Another thing about the game is the choice factor involved. The player can choose between two characters, and I’m assuming their stories unfold differently but probably intersect at some point? Within that choice though, the characters are also given decisions to make whether it where to investigate or how to apprehend someone. I do like having these sorts of interactions in visual novels, so I’m glad to see it here as well.

Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness looks to be another plus in my book for visual novels on the PlayStation Vita. Hopefully it can carry itself through to the end, but as of right now, I’m really digging it.

The Last of Us: Left Behind

I have no excuse for this one being in my backlog. I loved The Last of Us and it had so much emotional impact on me. Perhaps I never played the DLC because it was spoiled for me. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t ready to go back. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I finally did.

Naughty Dog nails characters. There is a reason they are considered *ahem* top dogs in the industry when it comes to stories and characters. Left Behind is no different, and it expands on the character of Ellie and I loved the dichotomy of who she is here and who she would become in the main game.

The contrasting mechanics in the game were also really cool. I knew beforehand that it would have a focus on going through a mall and having activities with your friend, but I must have slept on people mentioning you were also playing in “real time” and finding items to help Joel.

My favorite thing with the mechanics here was using the looters and Infected against each other. It happens late in the DLC, but being able to provoke each group to run into each other was awesome and I’m surprised that it was either not utilized in the main game or done very little. It’s been a while since I played the main game, so I honestly can’t remember.

I am also shocked, though I shouldn’t be, of the outrage caused from the innocent kiss by Ellie and Riley. The way it portrayed was some major makeout session, but instead it was a very real in-the-moment sense of affection. In the end, it was a nice touch on what felt like a very strenuous but caring relationship between the two.

I am relieved to finally have Left Behind out of the backlog. It also made me that much more excited for The Last of Us Part 2. I can’t wait to see where they take Ellie, and I will find out for sure on day one of it’s release.

The Witness

I was waiting for the “right” price on The Witness, and even better, it was free on PS+. It received plenty of praise and Game of the Year accolades when it released, so I knew I wanted to play it eventually, but I’m not a puzzle guy. For this reason, I waited for it to drop.

Oh boy, this is hitting me in a way I didn’t expect. First off, what an absolutely stunning game in terms of look and design. I’m not sure how invested I will be in this puzzle world in terms of a potential plot ala Portal, but it at least gives vibes that there could be something under the surface that pulls me forward.

The puzzles so far are just right. They ease you in pretty well, but if you find one before you are ready, it will definitely leave you scratching your head. As eager as I am to run around the island solving its many mysteries, I’m afraid in running across something to big for my britches.

Jonathan Blow is a smart man. Whether you find him pretentious or not is another issue, but there is no denying his ability at game design along with interesting mechanics. I look forward to playing through The Witness in a way I didn’t think I would when I eventually bought it.

Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Already played this game on Wii U, so I’m not going to dive in here. Just wanted to say this game is just as infuriating as ever with a second player at a lower skill than you. Thanks for testing my patience son.

That’s it for this week. Look for our other stuff going on here at Los Harrow. Here’s some of the stuff worth checking out and I will see you all next week!